Ever wonder why it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding, or why bridesmaids used to dress alike?
Superstitions have long influenced the ritual of getting married. Practices vary from culture to culture—sometimes even between regions! The tradition of burying the bourbon is common in the South, for example, and few brides in the Northeast would forget their something blue.
In the spirit of this spooky month of October, here are a few silly, fun superstitions that still play a part in the process of getting engaged and married. Enjoy!
#1: Setting a Date
Choosing a day to get married has always been important. The month of May was thought to be unlucky in both pagan and Christian traditions. Want the stars to align? Some cultures believe in selecting a date based on your astrological signs! Many people will avoid getting married on days such as Friday the 13th, and very few will tie the knot on non-official American holidays such as Superbowl Sunday or Black Friday. Numerology plays a part, too—dates like 10/10/10 and 12/13/14 were highly coveted!
#2: First Look
The superstition that it was bad luck for a groom to see his bride before the wedding arose from purely superficial reasons: in arranged marriages, parents worried that he might break off the engagement if she wasn’t attractive enough. Nowadays, this is just a fun tradition that allows the bride and her party to dress up together, while the groom and his buddies get ready on their own. The “first look” is a sweet moment that some couples choose to photograph ahead of the ceremony.
#3: Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride
Is it true that if you’re always a bridesmaid, you won’t become a bride? Is there a limit on how many times you can be in a friend’s wedding before dooming your love life? Actually (as with the tradition of buying a diamond engagement ring), this saying was appropriated from a clever advertisement for mouthwash. That’s right. Mouthwash. So relax and have fun at your friends’ weddings. Your love story will unfold at its own pace, in its own time.
#4: Losing the Engagement Ring
Some women joke about “accidentally” losing the engagement ring if they don’t like it. While this might be tempting if he selects something truly abominable, the theory is that if you lose your wedding ring, your marriage will fail. Unfortunately, we can’t survey divorced couples to check if either one of them lost their ring during the engagement… Maybe buy a ring holder, just in case.
#5: Choosing a Dress
Did you know that your wedding gown comes with its own superstitions? In the past, women usually selected their best frock for the big day. The rhyme went that if you wore black, you’d wish yourself back (as in, you’d regret it). Wearing red, you’d wish yourself dead! If you wore blue, your love would be true; if you married in brown, you’d live in town. Nowadays, most brides choose a shade of white, but it’s completely acceptable to flaunt any color or design your heart desires, including ombré, floral, watercolor, or metallic.
Are you superstitious? Let us know what traditions you’ll incorporate on the big day!
http://www.match.com/magazine/article/13027/Eight-Love-Superstitions-And-Their-Origins/
https://www.7thsensepsychics.com/blog/love-relationship-superstitions
http://www.kimleatherdale.com/intimacy/a-nod-to-the-13th-seven-relationship-superstitions/
